Jeanine Monica Bungay, seen here with a sheriff's officer, was sentenced to four years, nine months in prison today. — Telegram file photo

Jeanine Monica Bungay wasn’t in the courtroom when she was sentenced in provincial court in St. John’s today. Instead, she appeared via video link from the Correctional Centre for Women in Clarenville.

She cried as Judge David Orr rendered his decision. Orr gave Bungay 80 days’ credit for the time she’s already spent in custody, leaving four years and 6 1/2 months on her term.

Bungay pleaded guilty last week to five charges — armed robbery, robbery, possessing a weapon dangerous to the public (a knife), having her face masked and breaching a court order to possess no weapons.

The charges are in connection with two robberies she committed last year in Conception Bay South.

On May 21, 2013, Bungay walked into Your Convenience store with sunglasses on and a knife in hand.

“Give me all your money,” she said to the female clerk.

She got away with $200.

The clerk followed her out of the store and got a partial licence plate number. Police traced the car to Bungay and arrested her shortly after.

She informed officers she was high on cocaine and was seven months pregnant. She told them her common-law husband had kicked her out of the house, that she was desperate for her next fix and immediately spent the money on cocaine.

Bungay was released on bail on June 12, 2013.

About six months later, on Dec. 6, 2013, Bungay went into CJ’s Convenience on the Foxtrap Access Road with a white scarf wrapped around her head and demanded money from the female clerk.

The clerk immediately pressed an emergency button behind the counter, which sounded in the attached house, where the store owners live.

Surveillance video from the store was played in court. It showed a woman chasing Bungay out of the store with a baseball bat and a man following close behind.

The man ran after Bungay across the street, between two houses and back to the store’s parking lot, where she jumped behind the wheel of her SUV, which had been left running.

The store owners noted the licence plate number and called police.

On their way, officers spotted the vehicle on the Conception Bay South highway. They arranged for a roadblock to be set up further down the road, near the Trans-Canada Highway turnoff.

When Bungay approached the roadblock, she refused to stop and swerved around police cars.

Police followed her to Paradise. When she stopped at a red light near the Trails End subdivision, police cars surrounded her car. Officers drew their guns and approached the car to arrest Bungay.

That was when they noticed two small children in the back seat — Bungay’s five-year old daughter and five-month-old son.

Crown prosecutor Danny Vavasour had asked for a sentence of between five and six years.

Bungay’s lawyer, Randy Piercey, had suggested a prison term of 3 1/2 to four years.

This young lady will either take this opportunity to clean up her act or she will sink into the prison culture and come out the other end a hardened criminal. The choice is hers. I hope she makes the right one for the sake of her kids.

where is the father/s of these children? let me guess, one of the deadbeats that are in abundance in this province. He sure wasn't keeping his children safe! Maybe if they paid for their kids we would have more money for things like addictions centres or less of the social problems we see b/c of poverty & the need to escape it

It's unbelievable how she could put both her children in this type of danger.. Forget the robberies, she should be locked up for exposing her poor innocent children to this type of behaviour and dragging them along with her... Thank god nothing happened to them on her little joy ride!

So Sorry for her little kid's.I believe no amout of jail is going to help her.She need's help big time and jail is not the place. Please God someone will help this girl. I don't belive taking her kids for life,with some help I am sure she can be a good mom..

seriously? you actually feel pity? prison is the only place for her. I have no problem with my taxes keeping her locked up. I do have a major problem with my taxes going towards her "treatments", which entails taxis, hotel rooms, meals and smokes. no thank you, lock 'er up. her kids will thank me in 20 yrs.

picky

January 27, 2014 - 14:12

Every body has a choice either to take drugs or not. Why did she start in the first place ???

She should never be allowed to ever have her children back...... end of story.... no rehabilitation can make up for that mistake of endangering her precious children. God help us what has society come to and the young are suffering for it all.